Note: Online payment of the courses listed below is available by clicking HERE. Print and bring a copy of the registration form with you whether paying online or paying by check at the door or via mail.
The Dangerous Act of Loving Your Neighbor Mark Labberton Saturday, February 5, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (lunch not included) Church Divinity School of the Pacific, 2451 Ridge Rd., Berkeley; Tucson Room Cost: $25
Seeing rightly is the beginning of how our hearts are changed. Through careful self-examination in the Spirit, we begin to bear the fruit of love toward others that can make a difference. Here is a chance to reflect on why our ordinary hearts can be complacent about the evils in the world and how we can begin to see the world as Jesus did. There will be time after the presentation to have Mark Labberton sign copies of his new book.
Mark Labberton (Ph.D.) is director of the Lloyd John Ogilvie Institute for Preaching, Fuller Theological Seminary. His just-published book is The Dangerous Act of Loving Your Neighbor.
Biblical Hebrew Study Group II (with emphasis on the Psalms) Chris Corwin Thursdays, 7:00-9:30 p.m., February 3–May 19 Room G205, First Presbyterian Church Berkeley, 2407 Dana St., Berkeley Cost: $280; Student: $140. (one semester) Co-sponsored with and held at First Presbyterian Church Berkeley. The course is limited to students who have taken Hebrew Study Group I. (GTU academic credit available)
Learn Biblical Hebrew by reading and listening to the Psalms. Utilizing linguistically proven techniques, this class will focus on basic grammar and vocabulary building, enabling a lifetime of reading Scriptures in Hebrew. As we learn Hebrew, we’ll develop a deeper understanding of the poetic nature of the book of Psalms, enriching its impact for personal and corporate worship and spirituality. There will be an exam for credit students.
Chris Corwin (Ph.D.) is an adjunct professor at Chabot College and New College Berkeley. His doctoral work emphasized the Hebrew Scriptures with special emphasis on the Psalms.
Women Empowered to Serve Sharon Gallagher Saturday, March 5, 2011, 9:00 a.m. - noon Fireside Room, Berkeley Covenant Church, 1632 Hopkins, Berkeley Cost: $25.00
This seminar will raise questions about female leadership in the church. What can we learn from the way Jesus treated women? Does Paul really teach the subjugation of women? We'll discuss some of the pertinent biblical passages and look at the example of key female leaders in the New Testament. There will also be time for feedback from women and men about their own experiences in church leadership.
Sharon Gallagher (M.T.S.) is associate director and professor of Christianity and the media at New College Berkeley. She is also editor of Radix magazine and recently edited Where Faith Meets Culture: A Radix Anthology.
Contemplative Prayer Retreat -- Examining Our Lives in Lent Susan S. Phillips Saturday, March 26, 9:00 a.m. - 1 p.m. (lunch not included) Room G213 and Chapel, First Presbyterian Church Berkeley, 2407 Dana St., Berkeley Co-sponsored with and held at First Presbyterian Church Berkeley (the retreat is limited to a maximum of 25 participants) Cost: $25
The apostle Paul wrote: “Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it—not with ink, but with God's living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives….”(—2 Cor. 3, The Message). Join us for a morning of contemplative prayer and attention to the Spirit-inscribed living letter you are. As we slow down during this Lenten season, we can pay fresh attention to God’s presence in our lives.
Susan S. Phillips (Ph.D.) is executive director of New College Berkeley, teaches Christian spirituality at the GTU, Regent College, and other seminaries, and is a spiritual director. She is the author of Candlelight: Illuminating the Art of Spiritual Direction.
Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility: Christian Repentance and Reconciliation Margaret Horwitz Saturday, April 2, 9:00 a.m.- noon Room 103, First Covenant Church of Oakland 4000 Redwood Road, Oakland Cost: $25
This year, 2011, marks the 200th anniversary of the first Austen novel to be published. The book, Sense and Sensibility, contains passages which make “the religious background of the author's ethical position” quite clear, wrote C.S. Lewis. We’ll explore patterns of contrition and forgiveness in this novel and its 1995 film version (with an Academy Award-winning script by Emma Thompson). DVD clips will be shown.
Margaret McBride Horwitz (Ph.D.) is an independent scholar with a doctorate in film studies from UCLA and visiting professor of Christianity and Literature at New College Berkeley.
Mind, Language, and Biblical Interpretation Bonnie Howe Two Saturday Seminars: April 9 and 16, 9:00-4:00 p.m.
Church Divinity School of the Pacific, 2451 Ridge Rd., Berkeley; Classroom A (4/9), Classroom B (4/16)
Cost: $150 (GTU academic credit available)
The way we use language is a reflection of how we think. Biblical study requires paying attention to what a text says, how it says what it says, and the range of possible meanings. It engages us in a cross-cultural exercise in communication, thought, and interpretation. Current research in the emerging field of cognitive linguistics offers an interesting array of tools and methods for studying and deepening our engagement with scripture.
Bonnie Howe (Ph.D.) is visiting NCB professor of New Testament Studies and Christian Ethics. She is the author of Because You Bear This Name: Conceptual Metaphor and the Moral Meaning of 1 Peter.
The Gospel of John Revisited Earl Palmer Saturday, May 7, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Sanctuary, First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, 2407 Dana St., Berkeley Cost: $50 ($90 per couple; $35 student)—includes lunch
As witness and historian, John relates incidents from the life of Jesus, including his many miracles. The Jesus we discover in John’s Gospel is conversational rather than triumphal, a friendly listener who draws people out. This day of study with the great biblical expositor Earl Palmer will encourage our faith and lead us to a better understanding of Jesus.
Earl Palmer (M.Div.) is author of many books, including A Faith That Works and Trusting God: Christian Faith in a World of Uncertainty. He directs Earl Palmer ministries.
Register online (optional print registration also available).
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